You Can't Win
Britt Allcroft & David Mitton |director=David Mitton |producer= Britt Allcroft David Mitton |narrator= Michael Angelis George Carlin |series=Series 4 |series_no=4.04 |number=82 |sts_episode=Splish, Splash, Splosh |released= * October 19, 1995 * April 25, 1996 * November 4, 1996 * May 12, 1997 * January 19, 1998 * July 25, 2009 |previous=Bulldog |next=Four Little Engines}} You Can't Win is the fourth episode of the fourth series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Duke the Lost Engine. Plot Duke is feeling poorly, so he rests while his crew cleans his tubes. Stuart arrives and jokes that Duke is short of puff, but Duke says it is routine maintenance. But Stuart suggests that he and Falcon keep him in working order in case of any breakdowns. Duke pays no attention, and begins to leave. That evening, Duke begins taking his passengers home. The journey starts out all smoothly until they come to a hill where he starts wheezing with his valves leaking steam. Duke finds it difficult, so Falcon and Stuart come to help him. The three engines then split up at the next station so Falcon can take Duke's train to the docks, whilst Duke and Stuart can take Falcon's train home. Stuart is delighted, bragging about rescuing Duke from any trouble. However, Duke is not quite out of steam and makes a grand effort to pull the train despite the nasty sound of his valves. Duke and his driver start puffing as soon as they reach the hill. After arriving at the top station, a boy thinks that two engines are not needed for the train but his father tells his son that Duke had to help Stuart as a result of a breakdown. Stuart becomes furious and he vanishes in a cloud of steam. Duke pulls up beside him and jokes that he can't win. Characters * Duke * Falcon * Stuart * Thomas * Bertie * Refreshment Lady * One Little Boy Locations * Tidmouth Sheds * The Mountain Line * Forest Runby * Hawin Doorey Castle * Hawin Doorey * Glennock * Mountainside Runby * Valley View * Cros-ny-Cuirn * Skarloey * Rheneas * Crovan's Gate * Arlesburgh Harbour Trivia * Behind the scenes footage of the episode was filmed in 1994 as part of a segment for WIN Television's Sixty Minutes titled The Making of Thomas the Tank Engine. * This episode marks Duke's last individual speaking role to date, outside of a group line in Steam Roller. * This is the only episode based off of a story from Duke the Lost Engine not told by Thomas to the other standard gauge engines. * This is the first episode where no standard gauge engines speak. * Stuart exclaims "Fiddlesticks!" towards the end of this episode, instead of the alternative in the original book. This was likely to avoid any criticism for alluding to profanity in the TV series. * In a rare Japanese still, Duke is seen coupled in front of Stuart instead of behind him. Goofs * As Stuart is being coupled up to Duke, Duke is wearing one of Falcon's faces. * At the beginning, Stuart has Rheneas' whistle sound. This happens again when Stuart leaves the station with Duke. * In a rare still of Stuart coupling up to Duke's train, his funnel is loose and his lining is peeling off. * In a deleted scene, it is not sundown when Duke and Stuart enter Crovan's Gate. * The narrator says that Stuart took Falcon's train with Duke coupled behind, but Duke was still coupled up to his own train. It was also said that he was coupled behind when he was actually coupled in front to double head with Stuart. Merchandise * Buzz Books - You Can't Win * Magazine Stories - Grand Old Duke In Other Languages Home Media Releases * The Complete Series 4 * Seasonal Scrapes * 5 Episode Video DVD Packs * Classic Collection WAL * Thomas the Tank Engine: Bumper Special 2 AUS * Thomas and Stepney and other Stories * The Complete Series 4 DVD Packs * Complete Series 1-10 * Classic Collection * Series Three and Series Four Double Pack US * The Gallant Old Engine and Other Thomas Stories/Henry and the Elephant * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 4 JPN * New Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.2 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 2 Vol. 5 * I'm Busy Hurry Hurry!! NZ * Thomas and Stepney and other Stories NOR * Thomas and Stepney GR * A Day at the Station DVD Boxsets * 3 DVD Boxset 2 KOR * For the Story of Determination DK * Four Little Locomotives and Other Stories MYS * Four Little Engines and Other Thomas Adventures * One Good Turn and Other Adventures FIN * Rock 'n' Roll Locomotive (Finnish DVD) IN * Oliver Owns Up and Other Stories ITA * The Sleeping Beauty NL * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, Percy and Gordon * Merry Christmas! UKR * A Train Thomas and Friends * Thomas and Friends - Series 4 (Ukrainian DVD) CHN * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4 (DVD) HK * Thomas and Friends Volume 9 (Hong Kong DVD) * Thomas and Friends Volume 12 (DVD) THA * Thomas and Friends - Volume 12 (Thai DVD) TWN * Thomas and Friends Volume 1 (Taiwanese DVD) }} es:La Venganza he:לא ניתן לנצח ja:かちめなし pl:Ze mną nie Wygrasz ru:Ты не победишь Category:Series 4 episodes Category:Episodes Category:Direct-to-Home Video Category:Railway Series adaptations